


A Clawful Experience

by YsaX64



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bodyswap, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Just Add Kittens, Magic, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:56:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21610519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YsaX64/pseuds/YsaX64
Summary: The tales of old told horrible stories about dark magic turning against its caster. Hubert used to not believe in them, but he would quickly change his mind.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & Hubert von Vestra, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 4
Kudos: 65





	A Clawful Experience

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adrestiandove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrestiandove/gifts).



> i have no excuse.

Dark magic had many purposes. 

It was deep and old and required both constant studies and deep concentration. Particularly so when there was a cat in front of him. 

Hubert was sitting with his legs crossed, staring right back at the black cat and its yellow – _green?_ – eyes. Despite being mid-afternoon, Hubert's office was dimly lit, letting the circle of candles be the main light source.

As it was demanded of a dark spell. 

Hubert smirked, letting his hands rest on his knees. Everything was ready. He had set the candles in a circle, brought the enchantment book and had found the perfect subject for his bidding. The cat. A black cat who would serve as his eyes when humans spies wouldn't be able to do the trick. It was perfect and harmless to the creature. If nothing else, the animal would be happy about having a new, even if peculiar owner.

The cat, unaware of Hubert's scheming, licked his paw, tail swirling in a lazy pattern. 

A bold move, the Minister had to admit. Ignoring the situation entirely would be considered imprudent by any human, but cats lived by their own ruleset. It was fair enough, he supposed. 

Hubert closed his eyes, fingers tapping on his knees. The mantra, yes, the spell casting was different from offensive magic, but it resonated within all the same. 

_One_.

He took in a deep breath.

_Two._

He exhaled, feeling the air leave his lungs.

_Three._

And then a soft noise that shouldn't have happened echoed in the room.

Hubert opened one eye, cold sweat trickling down his back. One candle, just one candle, fell. And the culprit, paw raised in the air, tilted its head to the side. 

The circle of candles had been broken. 

Hubert paled.

"Oh, no."

* * *

Edelgard knew she shouldn't complain. A rational part of her mind knew that there was nothing to whine about. Nothing so dreadful as to deserve an actual complaint. All of her other thoughts, however, revolved around how utterly _boring_ her day was.

Paperwork on top of paperwork, endless waves of laws and agreements that she fantasized about burning to ashes.

But, alas, it was mid-afternoon still, and her duties would demand her attention for a while longer. Dreadful, but necessary.

Edelgard let out a huff, resting her chin on her hand as she skimmed her eyes over the papers. Trade agreements, land demarcation and all sorts of undiluted boredom. 

She rubbed her eyes, stalling for as much time as she could get without having to read the words "I request" one more time.

Tapping a finger on the table, Edelgard quickly reached the conclusion that it most certainly wasn't worth it to continue trying. So, she averted her eyes to the window.

_Oh._

A black cat stood on her window, tail high and tense, eyes cast to the ground. Or, rather, the ground below, for her office was on one of the higher floors. Edelgard smiled, tilting her head to the side.

Her windows never had visitors that interesting – not even birds enjoyed the movement of the guards surrounding the palace. So she appreciated a temporary companion, even if she was merely observing its tense movements.

The cat moved tensely, not so catlike as one would expect. Slow and steady, it turned his head towards Edelgard, green – _yellow?_ – eyes staring back at her. A paw trembled, clumsily hitting the glass. Knocking?

Edelgard stood up, pausing to examine the scene before her. Forgetting the piles of paperwork before her, she opened the window. The animal seemed well-cared for, she would be surprised if it was just a stray. _If nothing else, it could provide some amusement, for the time being._

The cat readily took the opportunity, jumping to the safe ground. For a moment, she could swear that the cat sighed, stretching his long body. 

"Hello, you," she said. The cat turned his head to her, ears erect as if it was understanding her every word. "You really are making yourself comfortable already."

If the cat had eyebrows, Edelgard was sure it would have raised one. Instead, the animal proved to be almost too familiar with her office, jumping right on top of her table. _Oh?_

The cat turned around, tail swirling in a pattern. It opened his mouth as if trying to speak, but it soon closed again as she offered her hand. She could hardly explain the impulse of doing so, but there was no one else there. No one to judge her or to chastise her. And the cat seemed amicable enough, so perhaps she could make a new friend.

When the cat gave her no signs of restlessness, she petted its head, caressing the soft fur. The animal flinched and she almost pulled back, but, with no further signs of discontent, Edelgard continued. Considering its dazed eyes and soft posture, Edelgard was now sure it was a domestic cat since she couldn't believe a feral animal would react so promptly. She smiled, scratching one spot behind its ear that seemed to just do the trick.

Once more, the animal opened its mouth but promptly closed it again at the sound of three knocks.

"Edelgard?" 

Cheerful tone and without even the semblance of a title in his words, it was all too obvious who was on the other side. The cat also responded accordingly, taking a step back and having a staring contest with the door as if it had just profaned its holy petting session.

"Come in, Ferdinand."

The doors opened, revealing the Prime Minister in all his almost doglike glory, a smile to make women and men alike swoon and melt with his words. He settled a hand on his hip and she could see the moment he noticed the new guest in the room.

His shoulders raised and trembled, indicating the question that died in his throat. 

"Oh," he voiced his confusion, but before she could even justify the cat's presence, Ferdinand continued. "Do you have a kitty now?"

"No. Just a visitor."

His happy expression wavered, but not for long as he strode across the room, standing right in front of the cat. It, in contrast to the overly excited man, arched its back, tail tense and high. Yet Ferdinand seemed to care for none of it, offering his hand.

Just as expected, the cat hissed, slit pupils staring back at Ferdinand as a warning. Edelgard chuckled as the Prime Minister pulled back his hand with a grimace. Out of instinct, she picked up the cat, much to the animal's surprise.

"It seems that he doesn't like you."

It was just then that she noticed that Ferdinand barely paid attention to her question, wide eyes focused on the animal in her arms. She pressed her lips together, noticing that picking up an unknown cat might not have been her brightest idea. 

Edelgard cast her eyes downwards, half expecting to see a tense animal, if not outright growling. What she didn't expect to see was a surprised yet curious cat, blinking slowly back at her she settled it in her arms.

"I think that this cat just likes you more than anyone else," Ferdinand muttered, drawing back her attention. "It is rare to find an animal that doesn't like me, honestly." 

The cat let out a puff of air through its nose.

Edelgard started petting its soft fur, unfazed by her Prime Minister's antics. 

"So, what did you came here for?" She asked, drawing his attention back to her.

"There are some notes about healthcare that I had to pick up. Can I have them now?"

Luckily, it was one of the papers in her relatively small "already done" pile. She nodded towards it, as she found herself mindlessly stroking behind the cat's ears. The animal leaned its head in her hand, rewarding her with a soft purr.

"Very well," he said, smiling once again. It didn't take long for him to find what he needed. Ferdinand spared one more glance to the cat, which was content with the caress of her fingers, before bowing in respect. "Thank you, Edelgard."

Ferdinand took his leave as Edelgard leaned against the table, eyes focused on the cat in her arms. Well, it was surely much more docile than expected, still purring contently. 

Part of Edelgard wanted to just sit down and continue to pet him, but she knew there was still work to do. Unfortunately. Gently, she hooked her hand under the cat, placing him safely on the table.

The cat's eyes widened, ears perked up as if asking a question. She smiled apologetically, tempted to pick it up again.

"My apologies, but for now you will have to settle with being here."

She turned on her heels, sitting back down in her chair to deal with the papers. But the silence didn't last long. Someone cleared their throat, an uneasy and clumsy sound.

"Lady Edelgard."

Hubert's voice. It wouldn't be the first time that he had entered silently without her taking notice, so she didn't raise her head, staring at the papers still.

"Yes?"

A moment of silence. Not a step to be heard, unusual even for Hubert's light feet.

"Please, look up."

Raising an eyebrow, she lifted her head, eyebrows furrowed together. Only the cat, sitting at the table and staring right at her. The black animal seemed to sigh, paws shifting and tail swirling around almost like a question mark.

"I'm here."

Edelgard had seen many things in her life. Gruesome things, strange events, and forlorn experiences. But seeing Hubert's voice come out of a cat was a new high.

She gasped, neck bending forward just to guarantee she had heard it just right.

"Please, can you help me?"

The cat spoke again. 

"Hubert?" She spoke up in disbelief.

The cat raised a paw in shame, tail tucked between his hind legs.

"I would say 'in the flesh' but," he trailed off, pacing around her table. "That is not the case."

Edelgard blinked slowly, rubbing her eyes to guarantee that just wasn't a strange dream and that she hadn't fallen asleep on top of her papers. 

_No, I'm not sleeping. Hubert is a cat._

"How did this even happened?" 

Important questions first. Also a good way for stalling for time so that she could assimilate the fact that her childhood friend and trusted advisor was now a black cat.

Hubert didn't seem too keen on the prospect either, ears flattened down.

"Dark magic. It backfired. Now I need your help, please, Lady Edelgard."

Short phrases, unlike his usual tone. 

"I…" she trailed off, tempted to ask more questions. But her more practical side knew that a Minister of the Imperial Household with no opposite thumbs wouldn't be any help. Also, it was more interesting than the paperwork. "Very well."

* * *

"Don't laugh."

Hubert's strained voice, reeking of despair, didn't do anything to ease the blooming laughter in her chest.

Hubert – or rather, Hubert's body – was sprawled lazily on top of a high shelf in his office. Books were lying on the floor and his hand was hovering in the air, close to a glass of water. Slowly, almost methodically, he pushed the glass off the shelf, observing as it shattered on top of a book.

"How did this even happened?"

The cat – or rather, Hubert – sighed, tail quivering. 

"My plan was to simply have this cat to be my eyes. I would see what it could see and so I could leave it to his own devices in the palace. A perfect spy."

"Then it backfired?"

The cat nodded, walking closer to a circle of candles almost burning out.

"When it comes to dark magic, the lines between a spell and a hex are blurry at best."

Barely an explanation, but Edelgard didn't care much, observing Hubert's body turned on his back, stretching his arms and his legs. Cloak slipping off his shoulders, expression blank as if just mildly inconvenienced by the new perspective of the world.

The cat, in contrast, was pawning at the fallen candles, incapable of lifting them.

"Lady Edelgard. Please."

She couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

* * *

The sun had set a long time before they stepped out of the room. It took quite some time to get the cat out of the shelf and the man out of the cat.

The pair, with a content black cat on tow, remained silent. Until Edelgard spoke up first, a smile playing on her words.

"So, I take that you like petting?"

In another surprising turn of events, Hubert blushed.

**Author's Note:**

> i still have no excuses also kudos/comments/feedback is always appreciated.


End file.
